swagger
Americanverb (used without object)
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to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air.
-
to boast or brag noisily.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
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(intr) to walk or behave in an arrogant manner
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to brag loudly
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rare (tr) to force, influence, etc, by blustering
noun
adjective
noun
Synonym Usage
See strut 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has swaggeredperfect 3rd person singular
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have swaggeredperfect
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has been swaggeringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is swaggeringprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been swaggeringperfect progressive
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are swaggeringprogressive
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am swaggeringprogressive 1st person singular
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swaggerssingular 3rd person
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swaggeringparticiple
Past
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had swaggeredperfect
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were swaggeringprogressive plural
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was swaggeringprogressive singular
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had been swaggeringperfect progressive
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swaggeredsimple
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swaggeredparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of swagger
Explanation
Picture the confident, maybe even arrogant way a pirate, a cowboy, or even a rapper might stroll around. That style of walking is called a swagger. Swagger can also be used as a verb. After you ace a test you might swagger down the hall feeling pretty full of yourself. In verb form it can also refer to more aggressive behavior like bullying or intimidating others. Hopefully you wouldn’t swagger down the hall doing that though!
Vocabulary lists containing swagger
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Words from Shakespearean Insults
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A packet can lend instant backbone to a quick enchilada sauce, wake up a pan of chilaquiles or give nacho toppings a little extra swagger.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
Talk to any musician, regardless of genre, and they will tell you Davis defined swagger and cool.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
The Colorado Avalanche rode swagger, poise and the league’s stingiest goaltender to the best record in the NHL this season.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
Even as the swagger returns, a key question remains about the technology from the last go-round that fizzled out in late 2022: Can robot cars finally scale affordably into businesses?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026
No more swagger as they moved along with the crowd.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
